On Saturday morning of reunion weekend, the class of 1960 was given a tour of the old school. The school had been added onto a fair bit, so it took us quite awhile to see something that Mom recognized.
The delay to get to the old part of the school was also hampered by an over eager tour guide who wanted to make certain that the old grads saw the new facilities. She emphasized the need for donations over and over again.
Johnstown Catholic (Bishop McCort now a days) has had a very successful sports program throughout the years. The school has won several state championships and several graduates have gone on to play professional sports.
I believe I found the secret to their athletic success as we were touring the boys locker room. The room with the white board, where the coach draws out the plays for the players, had pews to sit on instead of benches. I believe it very convenient for the players to be able to learn the plays and then pray they can do them right in the same spot.
Eventually, we made it to the old part and Mom walked up the girls stairs and into the principals office. She claimed she had not had to go into the principal’s office while in school, and her dear friend confirmed to me that Mom had been a “nice girl.”
Some of the guys checked to see if the boys bathroom still smelled like smoke and they heartily took the blame for it.
The old front doors were still there, but had been sealed off when the new entrance was put in. In one of the many new things I would learn that weekend, I discovered that my grandfather was born next door to the school two years before it was built and graduated from it in 1937.
One of the moments I loved while touring the school was reading the Alma Mater on the wall of the gymnasium. Here was my favorite part:
“…So, Pal of mine,
Dear Catholic High School
I’ll never forget you.”
